The Impact of a Faculty Training Program on Teaching Conceptions and Strategies

Gunersel, Adalet Baris; Etienne, Mary

International Journal of Teaching and Learning in Higher Education, v26 n3 p404-413 2014

This article presents a preliminary study of a faculty development program at a university in the Northeastern United States, exploring how the program influenced instructors' teaching conceptions about teaching in general and themselves as educators, and teaching approaches , including intended and adopted strategies. Interviews with 12 participants were conducted and analyzed; the theoretical orientation for the analysis was the grounded theory approach, and the constant comparative method of analysis was used. Findings indicate that the program influenced all of the participants' teaching conceptions in various ways (seven themes) and facilitated a shift towards a student-centered approach to teaching. Additionally, the program influenced all of the participants' teaching approaches (16 intended or adopted strategies), leading to the use of active learning methods. This study adds to the literature on the impact of pedagogical training programs for faculty, which is crucial as there is an increase in faculty development centers.